This game has horrible controls, unbelievably bad storyline script and acting, a charming hero, good sense of humour (specified) and detailed levels. If you have a friend to play with, are a fan of pure stealth, not afraid to die to BS reasons a lot and watch the loading screen for 70% of the playtime and like 4th wall jokes, pick it up on sale for 75% off or less. The review below is mostly for entertainment purposes, as we couldn’t find enough in the actual game.
Played through the game with my friend. Before that I played Of Orcs And Men, but couldn’t suffer it to the end. So what can this game offer? As it turns out: a lot! Here is why I consider it genius:
1) Story. So what’s so good about? Well, to start with, you play not as some clich? primate like a human, but as an exotic creature – a goblin! Seriously, which of the recent titles lets you experience something like this? Skyrim? Fantasy heroes are all the same, and to make matters worse – often mute. How could you realise the scale of your task to save the world with such a hero?! But not in this game! Here, the “hero” will gladly tell everyone, including the player, what he thinks about you (butthurt warning!). And regarding the saving – all you save in this game, is your own arså, and that, just to make it richer. And regarding plot twists – they are here and they are great. The hero knows exactly what will happen (he read the script, as he tells you many times), and makes full use of that knowledge to prank the suckers before delivering incredible one-liners than make Commander Shepherd jealous. Models, textures, etc. are top notch. And animations – a shining example of animator craftsmanship, something developers of Mass Effect Andromeda should learn from. Just missing VR mode for full immersion
2) Level design is on the high mark (literally). Depending on where Styx’s adventure takes him, you’ll traverse everything from high mountains, to deepest??????dungeons. You’ll also raid an air caravan. In any case, the levels are very vertical by design and that’s a good thing – because flying down is faster than running around corridors, and you’ll fall fly down a lot. And you can scream more badass one-liners while you fall, which you’ll have plenty of chances to experience if you don’t master this game’s 100% skill-based and responsive controls. Every resource you need is always present when you want it. I wanted to follow Styx’s advice and thank the level designer, but when I arrived at the given address, I only saw a police line and the officer told me there was a violent murder here a few days ago. Strange…
3) Gameplay. When you play Shards of Darkness, you sometimes feel like a Gopnik, squatting around in your Adidas-made robes, robbing suckers elfs of their valuables. Enemies will not tolerate such lack of class and stature, and will rather successfully break your face upon visual contact. The only way to prevent that is to attack them from behind, though that won’t work on armoured foes. Against those you can use acid darts or drop some heavy object hanging above by cutting the rope. Also enemies are perceptive and will generally find you everywhere, even though walls and seemingly solid objects. Especially dwarves – those can sniff you out from a mile away. All you can do is to vomit into soup and other food, that being the most reliable way of getting rid of any enemy. Tasting such a delicacy instantly fells even the mightiest foes. Styx’s rich inner world is simply too much to handle for the fragile nature of the other, lesser, races.
RUÊîðîòêàÿ âåðñèÿ äëÿ òåõ, êòî íå õî÷åò â÷èòûâàòüñÿ:
 ýòîé èãðå âû âñòðåòèòå óæàñíîå óïðàâëåíèå, íåâåðîÿòíî ïëîõèå ñþæåòíóþ ëèíèþ, ñöåíàðèé è ïîâåñòâîâàíèå. Õîðîøèé (íå äëÿ âñåõ) þìîð, è äåòàëèçèðîâàííûå óðîâíè. Åñëè ó âàñ åñòü äðóã, ÿâë. ïîêëîííèêîì æàíðà ñêðûòîãî ïðîõîæäåíèÿ è íå áîÿùèéñÿ óìåðåòü îò âñÿêîé ôèãíè, ñìîòðÿ íà ýêðàí çàãðóçêè 70% âðåìåíè, à òàêæå ëþáÿùèé øóòêè ïðî 4-óþ ñòåíó, òî áåðèòå ýòó èãðó êàê ìèí. ñî ñêèäêîé 75%. Îáçîð íàïèñàí ðàçâëå÷åíèÿ ðàäè, ò.ê. ìû íå íàøëè åãî â äîñòàòî÷íîì êîëè÷åñòâå.
ß ïðîøåë èãðó âìåñòå ñ äðóãîì. Äî ýòîãî èãðàë â Of Orcs And Men, íî òàê å¸ è íå îñèëèë. ×òî æå ìîæåò ïðåäëîæèòü ýòà èãðà? Îêàçûâàåòñÿ, î÷. ìíîãîå! È ñåé÷àñ ÿ ðàñïèøó ïî÷åìó ýòà èãðà ãåíèàëüíà:
1) Ñþæåò. ×òî â í¸ì òàêîãî, ñïðîñèòå âû? Äà õîòÿ áû òî, ÷òî âàì ïðèõîäèòñÿ èãðàòü íå çà êàêîãî-òî ïðèìàòà - ÷åëîâåêà, à çà ýêçîòè÷åñêóþ çâåðóøêó – ãîáëèíà! Ñåðü¸çíî, â êàêèõ ïîñëåäíèõ ðîëåâûõ èãðàõ âàì ïðèõîäèëîñü èãðàòü çà íå÷òî îðèãèíàëüíîå?  Ñêàéðèìå?  ôýíòåçè íåò íèêàêîé ôàíòàçèè ñðåäè ãëàâíûõ ãåðîåâ, à åù¸ ÷àñòü èç íèõ íåìûå. Êàê òóò ïðîíèêíóòüñÿ ñïàñåíèåì ìèðà?! Íî òîëüêî íå â ýòîé èãðå, òóò «ãåðîé» ñ óäîâîëüñòâèåì âûñêàæåò âñ¸ ÷òî î âàñ îí äóìàåò (âîçìîæåí áàòõ¸ðò). Ê ñëîâó, ñïàñàòü âàì ïðîñòîèò ñîáñòâåííóþ æ**ó, è òî ðàäè îáîãàùåíèÿ îíîé. Ñ çàâèòêàìè ñþæåòà òóò òîæå ïîðÿäîê. Ãåðîé ïðîñ÷èòûâàåò âñ¸ íà ìíîãî õîäîâ âïåð¸ä (îí ìíîãî ðàç ÷èòàë ñöåíàðèé, î ÷¸ì ñ óäîâîëüñòâèåì ðàññêàçûâàåò) è õîðîøî îêó÷èâàåò ëîõîâ, òàê ÷òî íèêîãäà íå çíàåøü, êóäà ïðîèçîéä¸ò î÷åðåäíîé ïîâîðîò ñþæåòà. À åù¸ ïðèñóòñòâóåò ýëüô-îáîðîòåíü! Òàêîå ïîñëåäíèé ðàç ÿ âèäåë â Dragon Age. Ìîäåëè, òåêñòóðû è ò.ä. – âñ¸ íà âûñîòå. À àíèìàöèè – ïðîñòî îáðàçåö äëÿ ñîçäàòåëåé ÌÝ:Àíäðîìåäà. Äëÿ ïîëíîãî ïîãðóæåíèÿ, ïîæàëóé, íå õâàòàåò òîëüêî VR øëåìîâ.
2) Äèçàéí óðîâíåé âûïîëíåí íà âûñîòå (áóêâàëüíî). Ñìîòðÿ êóäà èä¸ò Ñòèêñ âàì ïðèä¸òñÿ ïîáûâàòü â ãîðàõ èëè æå ñïóñêàòüñÿ íèæå ïëèíòóñà, â ïîäçåìåëüå.  òîì ÷èñëå åñòü íàáåã íà «âîçäóøíûé êàðàâàí» (â âàøåì ëèöå).  ëþáûå ñëó÷àè óðîâåíü áóäåò âåðòèêàëüíî îðèåíòèðîâàí. È ýòî õîðîøî, âåäü ëåòåòü âíèç âñÿêî áûñòðåå, ÷åì áåæàòü ïî êîðèäîðó. Ïëþñ ìîæíî ñêàçàòü êëàññíóþ ôðàçó ïîêà ëåòèøü. À ëåòàòü ïðèä¸òñÿ ÷àñòî, åñëè íå ïîíÿòü óïðàâëåíèå. Âñ¸ ÷òî íàäî äëÿ æèçíè ëåæèò òàì, ãäå äîëæíî. ß õîòåë âîñïîëüçîâàòüñÿ ñîâåòîì Ñòèêñà è ïîéòè ïîáëàãîäàðèòü äèçàéíåðà óðîâíåé, íî ïî àäðåñó ÿ âñòðåòèë ïîëèöåéñêîãî, êîòîðûé ðàññêàçàëà ìíå, ÷òî òóò ïðîèçîøëî æåñòîêîå óáèéñòâî íåñêîëüêî äíåé íàçàä. Ñòðàííî.
3) Åñëè ãîâîðèòü î ãåéìïëåå, òî èíîãäà âîçíèêàåò ÷óâñòâî, ÷òî èãðàåøü çà êàêîãî-òî ãîïíèêà: ïîë óðîâíÿ ïðîâîäèøü íà êîðòî÷êàõ, îòæèìàÿ ó ëîõîâ ýëüôîâ íóæíûå âåùè. Âðàãè æå, çàâèäåâ, òàêîé óðîâåíü áåñêóëüòóðüÿ ñìåëî áåãóò íàáèâàòü Ñòèêñó ðîæó, ïðè÷¸ì äîâîëüíî óñïåøíî. Åäèíñòâåííûé ñïîñîá ñïðàâèòüñÿ ñ íèìè – àòàêîâàòü ñçàäè, õîòÿ ïðîòèâ áðîíèðîâàííûõ âðàãîâ ïîìîæåò òîëüêî êèñëîòíûé äóø èëè äåñÿòèòîííûé êîëîêîë, íå çàáóäüòå òîëüêî ïðèìàíèòü ïîáëèæå. Âðàãè æå ëè÷íîñòè ãëàçàñòûå è ëåãêî íàéäóò âàñ â ëþáîì óêðîìíîì ìåñòå. Îñîáåííî ãíîìû – ýòè ó÷óþò âàñ çà âåðñòó. Åäèíñòâåííîå, ÷òî âàì îñòà¸òñÿ, òàê ýòî ïëåâàòüñÿ â ñóï÷èêè è åäó. Âêóñèâ òàêîé ïðîäóêò, âðàãè ñðàçó äîõíóò. Íó íå âûäåðæèâàåò òîíêàÿ ýëüôèéñêàÿ è íå òîëüêî íàòóðà áîãàòîãî ìèðà Ñòèêñà.
